Liquid applying machine



June 6, 1939. E. MUELLER 2,161,187

LIQUID APPLYING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 19, 1936 1751061225: Ell/Lnflaellez Patented June 6, 1939- PATENT GFFICE,

LIQUID APPLYING MACHINE Erwin Mueller, Chicago, Ill.

Application October 19, 1936, Serial No. 106,276 Renewed October 17,1938 13 Claims.

This invention relates to the varnishing of 1 labels, or to theapplication of liquid material to 1 other surfaces. In connection withwork of this kind, it is often desirable to leave a dry strip on thesurface of the label or other sheet or surface. This has been done,'inone way or another, but not in an entirely satisfactory manner.

Generally stated, therefore, the object of the invention is to provide anovel and improved construction and arrangement of the means forapplying the varnish or other liquid to the surface of the label orother sheet, whereby the fountain roller that supplies the varnish orother liquid to the label sheet is scraped clean over an areacorresponding to the area where no film of varnish or other liquid isdesired on the labels, so that no varnish or other liquid will beapplied by the roller to the said area on the labels where no varnish orother liquid is desired.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features ofconstruction tending to increase the general efficiency and desirabilityof a var-.

nishing or coating apparatus of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in mattershereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying draw.-ing, in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional fragmentary view, more or lessdiagrammatic in character, showing a varnish or coating apparatusembodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the parts in different positions;

Fig. 3 is an'enlarged perspective of the member that scrapes the varnishor liquid off the fountain roller, with a portion of the surface of saidroller shown in position to be engaged by the end of said member. 7

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail, section on line 4-4 in Fig. 3 of thedrawing.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the sheet after it is varnished, showing thedry or uncoated streakcaused by the action of the scraper on saidfountain roller. 1

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a main and feed roller orsheet carrier I having means at 2 for gripping the edge portion of thesheet 3 to which the varnish or other liquid is to be applied. Thisroller takes the said sheet from the feed table 4, which latter is of awell known form of construction. The fountain roller 5 takes the varnishor other liquid 6 from the tank or receptacle 1 and rolls it onto thesurface'of the sheet 3, as the latter passes between the two rollers, inthe manner shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The roller 8 is adjustable inany suitable or desired manner, to regulate the thickness of the film tobe carried up on the surface of the roller 5 and applied to the sheet 1of paper or other sheet material.

The shaft 9 of the roller I has a cam 10 thereon, for engagement withthe roller II on the upper end of the arm 12, which latter has its hub I3 mounted on a horizontal rock shaft M of any suitable character. Thishub l3 has a rigid arm 15 for engagement with the under side of thetable 4, and also has a rigid arm 16 pivoted at I! to the lower end ofthe feed arm 18 that controls the feed of the sheets from the table 4 tothe rollers, so that the arm 12 controls the sheet feeding mechanism.

A scraper arm l9, preferably loosely jointed at 20, is provided with aclamp 2|, by which it is removably clamped upon the bar 22 that is rigidwith the hub l3 previously mentioned. The element 2!, it will be seen,is in the nature of a block recessed at one side to receive the bar 22,and provided with a set-screw on the bottom of the block, to engage theunder side of said bar, to rigidly clamp the proximal end portion of thearm IS on the rock shaft. This arm has its distal end provided with ascraper 23, of any'suitable or desired material, for engagement with thesurface of the roller 5, previously mentioned. The scraper is adjustablelaterally, on the bar 22, to engage any point on the roller 5 betweenthe ends of the latter. engagement with the roller II, as shown in Fig.the feed'arm I8 is down, allowing the sheet to pass; and in addition,the scraper 23 is in engagement with. the surface, of the roller 5,thereby scraping off a quantity of the varnish or other liquid, over anarea corresponding to the dry area or streak'desired for the sheet. Whenthe cam l0 disengages the roller ll, allowing the arm 12 to swing upwardand backward a distance, because of the spring shown attached to the arml5, the parts then assume the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing,and

at this time the upper end of the arm 18 is.

against the edge of the next sheet 3, holding the latter in position onthe table 4, previously mentioned. The table 4 moves downward adistance, so that the roller I will not engage the paper. In addition,the scraper 23,dr0ps down a distance, because of the joint 20, and inthis way the scraper is disengaged from the surface of the roller 5, anddoes not re-engage such surface until the high portion of the cam I 0again re- When the cam I0 is in engages the roller II, thereby causingthe parts to again assume the position shown in Fig. l of the drawing.The joint 20 also prevents the scraper 23 from moving upward against theroller I, when the arm I2 moves to the left. When the cam l0 engages theroller H and moves the arm I 2 downwardly to the right, the table 4moves upwardly and presses the next sheet against the roller or sheetcarrier l, and the feed finger l8 moves downwardly, in such timedrelation that the front edge of the sheet is gripped by the device 2,which latter is of well known form, and the sheet then travels arounduntil it engages the fountain roller 5, as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing. Thus the rocking of the shaft l4 not only produces thesuccessive feeding of the sheets, but also causes the alternateengagement and disengagement of the scraper 23 with the fountain roller5, so that the scraper automatically skips or jumps certain places orareas on the roller 5, resulting in alternate uncoated areas on saidroller, with intermediate coated areas between the alternate areas.

In this way, the varnish or other liquid is scraped off the fountainfeed roller, circumferentially thereof, automatically, and in this wayno varnish or other liquid will be applied to a certain area of thesurface of the sheet, thus forming the so-called dry streak 24.,indicated thereon in Fig. of the drawing. In this way, each label, whenthe sheet is cut apart to form the separate labels, will have an endportion provided with a clean, dry surface, and with the edge of thevarnish or other liquid film clean and straight, so that the overlappingof the ends of the label, as when applied to a can, will be effectivefor the desired purpose.

The arm 19 is adjustable endwise, by means of the slot and screw meansindicated at 25. thereby to insure the desired pressure of the scraper25 on the surface of the fountain roller.

Of course, it is obvious that the dry area on .the paper, produced byscraping some of the area of the fountain roller, can be of any Width orextent necessary or desirable for different purposes. In fact, one-half,more or less, of the sheet could be left dry or unvarnished, by scrapingthe liquid off the roller the desired distance back from one endthereof. Thus varnished and unvarnished labels could be run through atthe same time, by predetermim'ng the dry area on the roller and on thesheet necessary for the unvarnished labels.

When the scraper 23 is withdrawn from contact with the roller 5, asshown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, the scraping action on the roller isdiscontinued. Thus, by making the scraping action intermittent, so thatthe scraping is only done while a sheet of paper is passing between thefeed rollers, the danger of creating ridges on the roller, by hardmasses of the coating liquid along the edges of the strip of surfacethat is scraped clean, is avoided. The liquid tends to harden along theedges of the clean strip of surface on the roller, but this tendency isminimized by the automatic control of the scraper, so that the latterengages and then dis engages the roll 5, in the manner shown anddescribed. And all this, it will be observed, is accomplishedautomatically by the actuation of the paper feeding mechanism, inasmuchas the scraper is carried by the latter.

What I claim as my invention is:

Apparatus for varnishing or coating paper tary fountain roller forcarrying the liquid in a film thereon, and for directly engaging andthereby rolling said film onto the sheet, while the latter is movingwith the roller, and means of less width than the length of the rollerfor automatically scraping off some 01' the film thereon, leaving anuncoated circumferential area thereon, between coated areas, thereby toprovide an uncoated area on the surface of the sheet, between coatedareas, together with paper feed controlling means to automaticallycontrol said scraper, thereby to disengage the latter from the rollerwhen the sheet is finished, said scraping means comprising a rocker armprovided at its distal end with a scraper for engaging said roller, witha loose joint in said arm permitting said scraper to drop down adistance when disengaged from the roller by said controlling means,preventing the scraper at such time from engaging the paper.

2. The combination of a fountain roller, a sheet carrier, mechanism forfeeding the sheet to the carrier so that it will pass between the rollerand the carrier, mounted on a rock shaft, a scraper mounted on said rockshaft to engage the roller and remove some of the liquid therefrom, andcam means for actuating said mechanism and thereby engaging anddisengaging said scraper.

3. A structure as specified in claim 2, said scraper having a jointtherein to enable it to disengage the roller.

4. A structure as specified in claim 2, said alternate engagement anddisengagement of the scraper serving to produce successive uncoatedareas on the roller, that alternate with coated areas thereon.

5.,A structure as specified in claim 2, said cam means comprising arotary cam on a shaft parallel with said rock shaft, an arm rigid withsaid rock shaft, and a roller on the end of said arm for engaging saidcam.

6. A structure as specified in claim 2, said carrier comprising a rotarycylinder having means thereon for gripping the forward edge of thesheet, and said cam means comprising a rotary cam mounted upon the axisof said cylinder, and rotating in unison with the latter, together withan arm rigid with said rock shaft, and a roller on the end of said armfor engaging said cam.

"7. A structure as specified in claim 2, comprising a transverse barparallel with said rock shaft and rigidly mounted thereon, a blockrecessed at one side to engage said bar, means for adjustably andremovably clamping said block on said bar, and means for adjustablyclamping the scraper on the top of said block, so that the scraper maybe adjusted relative to the fountain roller.

8. A structure as specified in claim 2, said cam means being operated bythe operation of said carrier. V

9. A structure as specified in claim 2, said scraper comprising an armhaving its proximal end rigidly mounted on said shaft, and having itsdistal end provided with a plate for engaging the roller,

A structure as specified in claim 2, said L labels or other sheetmaterial, comprising a roenable thescraper to disengage said roller andat the same time preventing the scraper from engaging said carrier.

11. The combination of a fountain roller, a

sheet carrier for engaging the sheet with said.

roller, a rock shaft, a scraper mounted on said rock shaft to engage theroller and remove some of the liquid therefrom, and cam means includinga cam on the axis of said carrier for actuating said rock shaft andthereby engaging and disengaging said scraper with said roller.

12. A structure as specified in claim 11, and means actuated by said camfor feeding the sheet to said carrier.

13. A structure as specified in claim 11, said scraper underlying thebottom of said carrier.

ERWIN MUELLER.

